Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1887-05-07
ST. PAUL & MINNEAPOLIS, MIMI MAY = 1881
CHICAGO.

CHICAGO.
According to promise set forth in
the last issue of the APPEAL, shall en-
deavor to give at least synopsis of my
trip to the city Of Old Mexico, and, in
doing 30, shall strive to make it as in
teresting as possible by handling the
truth with due care, SO my readers may
be well assured that any statement
made here can be relied upon.
] left Boston chat being my starting
point on January 18th, 1887, in the
midst of driving wind and pelting
snow storm which made the beautiful
city of Boston wear dismal and forlorn
aspect. But, however, my journey
being to much warmer cline could
| well endure the cold for short season.
Ny first stop of interest was made at
CINCINNATI, but this pretty little city
being SO well known to all Of my readers
| will not take up time in describing
any of its pleasant sights and many
Inequalities, but shall hasten along over
the Queen & Crescent Route until l ar
rive at Chattanooga, Tenn, where I
spent very delightful day, having by
this time left the cold chilly winds and
snow, capped hills of the North, and am
now enjoying the warmth and beauty of
the Southern sun. The first thing that
particularly strikes my attention is the
co-mingling of the colored and whites in
there general avocations and in great
many instances found our race doing
remarkably well. TWAS here also that
| visited the battle field where General
Hooker fought his great battle above the
clouds. Also the battle field of Chick
amauga where Gen. Bragg commanded
the Confederate forces on September
10Th, Goth and 21st, 1868. Next in order
was the National Cemetery where the
bones of 1882 heroes lay beneath the
sod. These and many other minor
places of interest were visited during
the day. In the evening I hear the
sound, sall aboard" and find myself
whirling on toward the Crescent City,"
and as | sped along noticed the vast in
crease Of colored people as I got farther
South, but another noticeable fact is, as
their numbers increase their condition
lowers and to such an extent that they
are as the Israelites were in Egypt; al
though far superior in point of numbers,
yet they are comparatively slaves to
their taskmasters, and you will find
them in some parts of Georgia where
they hardly dare to own themselves,
however, it seems to the writer that the
time has come when such state of af-
fairs should not exist, and with the as
sistance Of a little means raised by those
colored people that to-day, and for
years, have had the freedom of thought,
speech and action, and this means
placed in the hands of few true and
honest men, to be sent amongst them
that better times would speedily exist
through a greater portion of the South.
Was there one half the amount that is
annually expended in foreign missions
spent at home, in the directions Just
stated, many homes would be made
happy, many hearts would be made glad,
and the good work would still 90 on.
Now do not wish this to be under
stood that this state of affairs exists
throughout the whole South, for such is
not the case. When I enter city or
large town I find the scene changed, I
find the state of affairs much different,
they have very many advantages which
their brothers in the country and
smaller towns have not, yet they are
limited to such an extent that they have
but little chance to help their friends.
next arrived at the Crescent City,
or Southern Metropolis, which is said to
be the largest cotton mart in the world,
although New Orleans is rather a hand
some city and has many points of in
terest, yet there is nothing that would
particularly interest my readers, except
ing the fact that our race is doing re-
markabIy well, having nearly as many
advantages as we can boast Of ourselves.
! So shall leave the beautiful city of
New Orleans and | soon find myself
among the great rich sugar plantations
of Louisiana where the most appalling
sight that it has ever been my privilege
to witness met my gaze. There ,on those
large plantations you can see from
seventy-fye to a hundred of our race,
both male and female alike, trudging
YEARLY along from morning to night
with scarcely sufficient amount Of
clothing to prevent exposure, working
equally as hard with no better clothing
and with scarcely any more to eat than
| in the time of public slavery, but that is
not the worst, you will see, also. the
overseer on his horse with cow-hide
whip hanging to his side, and shot gun
strapped on his back riding amongst
them with an air that we suppose only
on overseer can assume. Look still
further and there you see lazily loung-
ing around the porch of the house, the
real blood hounds, and even in the
midst Of them you will see gently re-
Ginning in an easy chair watching the
work as it is going on in the fields, the